The Migration and Refugee Crisis in Political Discourse in Slovakia: Institutionalized Securitization and Moral Panic

Examining the ongoing processes of migration in Europe and beyond, this book deals with the ongoing processes of migration and boundary-(re)making in the world. It takes stock of recent and hitherto unpublished research on the refugee crisis in Europe, migration dynamics in the Middle East and migration flows in Africa and Latin America, specifically in relation to their political, social and cultural framing. In particular, chapters in this collection focus on newer cases of transnational migration, their socio-political implications that in turn affect identity-making. Alongside the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe, which can be viewed as one of the most divisive political issues in recent European history, new patterns of migration and re-bordering can also be seen across Europe, the Middle East and beyond. These include both the rise of anti-immigration populism within the nation-states as well as different attempts to control and regulate tangible and intangible borders of the nation state to discourage migration at the regional level such as the EU.

The article is an introductory attempt to find in the vocabulary of ethics and related disciplines such notions that would be able to become descriptive tools for the migrant crisis in Europe. The adopted perspective to tinker on the notions allows to traverse the narrow frames of theoretical ethics and reach for other resources. The paper contains a preliminary analysis of the notions of moral vertigo, moral panic, and moral disengagement, as well as an overview of potential benefits and problems stemming from using those terms.

This article links the 2015 refugee and migrant crisis to colonialism and the nature of the decolonisation process. It argues that the legacies of colonialism produced the conditions and the tensions in postcolonial states that led to the origins of the refugees and forced migrants. In exploring the refugee crisis and why individuals embark on hazardous journeys to Europe and other destinations, this study analyses the narratives of 15 survivors collected from media accounts of the 2015 refugee and migrant crisis. It also examines the crisis from the historical accounts and theoretical perspectives of colonialism and forced migration, drawing from the scholarship of Dirks, Thomas, Cohn and Mueller who predominantly focus on the colonial past, but also recognise the present implications that colonialism continues to exert for colonised people. The article concludes that the outcome of the colonial experience persisting in many postcolonial settings has contributed to the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

Statelessness remains a secondary topic in the debate on the migration crisis that has been raging across Europe since 2015, but it will certainly come to the fore in the near future. This paper draws attention to the issue of limited social and scholarly interest in statelessness in the context of the present migration crisis. The research explores how Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan nationality laws (as the majority of protection seekers come from these countries) regulate the issue of acquiring citizenship and why this gives rise to the problem of statelessness. The paper concludes that the lack of interest in the issue of statelessness is a growing challenge for the international community and requires systemic action. A ‘stateless generation’ may never become part of any society, which may in turn give rise to social conflicts in the countries of current residence. The author concludes by putting forward some suggestions for solving this problem from global, regional, state and civil society perspectives. Keywords: statelessness, migration crisis, refugee crisis, asylum, international law. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution − Non-Commercial − No Derivatives 4.0 International License. Suggested citation: A Szwed, ‘Statelessness in the Context of the Migration Crisis in Europe: A Growing Challenge for the International Community’ (2020) 16 CYELP 301.

One of the features of the modern system of international relations in terms of increasing globalization is the intensification of migration processes, the complication of the structure of migration flows. Compared to the migration crisis in Central Europe, the situation in Northern Europe looks more optimistic. Nevertheless, as the data of official statistics show, the number of arriving migrants is increasing every year, which creates an additional burden on the social institutions of society and increases tension in the societies. Another problem is the formation of ethnical enclaves on the territory of the recipient countries. For the research the Nordic region countries were selected: Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Finland. These states are included in the ranking of the “happiest” countries in the world and attract migrants with high standards of living. But the geographic location makes the Nordic countries a little less attractive for the migrants than the Central European countries. The analysis of the measures implemented within the framework of the migration policy shows that the Northern European states have different approaches to solving the migration issue. The strictest model of migration policy is demonstrated by Denmark and Norway, the softest by Sweden and Finland. Iceland, due to its geographical location, is less exposed to migration problems and demonstrates a very loyal policy towards migrants. Scandinavian countries have long been facing a choice: on the one hand, there has been and still is a need for workforce, and on the other hand, the influx of huge numbers of migrants is a threat to the stability of the state. The migration crisis in Europe, which reached its peak in 2015, forced countries with “soft” migration laws to take measures towards tighter control over migration flows.

Adapting to migration as a planetary force

Attitudes towards migrants and refugees are created and reflected at the level of public policies, as well as in local communities which cultivate traditional approaches and a specific worldview. The refugee crisis in Europe in the mid-2010s showed how public opinion translated into voting behaviour and became a source of strength for nationalist anti-immigrant movements and parties across the continent. East-Central Europe was no exception, regardless of the absence of a long-term, massive inflow of refugees. Nevertheless, the migration crisis created a new political narrative which exploited deeply rooted resentments, complexes, and fears. This article aims to analyse the official policy responses to the refugee crisis in the four East-Central European countries: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, which together constitute the so-called Visegrad Four. It puts the emphasis on the discriminatory practice of misnaming the refugees, which became deeply anchored in the political discourse of these countries. Based on a qualitative content analysis supplemented by the findings of public opinion polls, the argument developed in the article is that reluctant and defensive attitudes towards the refugees have been determined by the revival of parochialism as a radical reaction to the challenges of global trends and supra-local processes. The theoretical framing of the refugee problem is built on politicization, in connection with the concept of parochialism, seen from political and social perspectives, and the meaning of the use of the misnomer as a policy instrument. The article concludes that the migration crisis petrified traditional cleavages at the supra-local level, reinforcing simultaneously the sense of parochial altruism and hostility towards “the other.”

Розглянуто проблему сучасної міграційної кризи в країнах ЄС, основні загрози безпеки зовнішніх кордонів ЄС та загострення міжетнічних конфліктів. Проаналізовано сучасну міграційну політику країн ЄС, розкрито основні підходи до вирішення міграційних проблем, висвітлено проблеми інтеграції мігрантів у європейські суспільства, заходи, які застосовують окремі європейські держави у боротьбі із нелегальною міграцією, а також наголошено на необхідності вдосконалення сучасної міграційної політики країн ЄС, розробки нових умов та принципів адаптації мігрантів, що застосовуватимуться Україною. Відзначено, що прагнення України стати рівноправним членом світової та європейської спільноти вимагає від нашої держави неухильного дотримання міжнародних угод та стандартів у сфері захисту прав людини, одним з яких є свобода вільного переміщення громадян. Україна, в силу свого геополітичного розташування, стала транзитною країною для багатьох шукачів кращого життя. У цьому потоці певний відсоток становлять люди, що змушені шукати притулок. Ці люди не можуть розраховувати на захист своїх урядів, і в цьому відрізняються від інших мігрантів, у яких би тяжких умовах ці мігранти не знаходилися, а також від інших груп людей, які мають потребу в гуманітарному захисті. Також автор намагається проаналізувати питання нелегальної міграції до країн європейського континенту, що було викликано і спровоковано напливом біженців із територій, де активно ведуться військові дії та масові збройні конфлікти; робиться спроба висловлення пропозицій та шляхів їх розв’язання. Також сформульовано поняття «європейська міграційна криза», що застосовується для визначення ситуації, яка склалася в країнах Європейського Союзу внаслідок процесів нелегальної міграції біженців. Проаналізовано ключові проблеми нелегальної міграції, розглянуто основні заходи, що здійснюються ЄС задля врегулювання напливу мігрантів, визначено рівень їх ефективності. Акцентовано увагу на необхідності вдосконалення міграційної політики як на рівні країн-учасниць ЄС, України, так і Європейським Союзом загалом.

The purpose of this paper is to look into the recent refugee crisis in Europe and to argue on how this crisis turned into a humanitarian problem at a global scene. Moreover, this migration crisis has been developed into a security issue in Europe and in the same time affecting the dynamics of the European integration. For Europe, the integration of refugees is a big challenge. The debates have been focused on immigrant population as a whole rather than asylum-seekers in particular. The debate was often difficult to control because of different meaning between those who favour more assimilation policies against those who argue for protection for the newcomers' cultural identity. This research paper is trying to find out how the Europe is dealing with this huge challenge of immigrants and with their integration.

The purpose of this paper is to look into the recent refugee crisis in Europe and to argue on how this crisis turned into a humanitarian problem at a global scene. Moreover, this migration crisis has been developed into a security issue in Europe and in the same time affecting the dynamics of the European integration. For Europe, the integration of refugees is a big challenge. The debates have been focused on immigrant population as a whole rather than asylum-seekers in particular. The debate was often difficult to control because of different meaning between those who favour more assimilation policies against those who argue for protection for the newcomers' cultural identity. This research paper is trying to find out how the Europe is dealing with this huge challenge of immigrants and with their integration.

Dealing with the migrant crisis in Europe has shown that the regulations, principles, and values of the European Union are overshadowed by the individual interests of its member states. On the one hand, EU member states have faced internal political challenges caused by populism, while on the other hand, there has been a lack of rapid, coordinated, and synchronised measures to solve the problems at hand. The mass influx of migrants from Asia and Africa to Europe indicates demographic shifts on a historic scale and possible global consequences, but EU member states have been observing the issue and are still observing it primarily from their own national point of view. A comparative analysis of electoral support for populist parties and movements in Europe since the beginning of the migrant crisis has led to an indicative conclusion that there is a direct correlation between increasing support for populists and the large-scale migrant crisis. The significant influx of migrants has contributed not decisively, but to a significant extent to the creation of a great populist wave that has engulfed almost all of Europe.

Most scholarly analyses of memory politics investigate how historical events are remembered selectively in order to justify political choices. Recent research has shown that ‘silencing the past’, notably the omission of relevant historical events, is also an important aspect of memory politics. This article examines how Italian leaders silenced significant periods of Italy’s history during the refugee and migrant crisis in 2014–2018. Drawing on memory politics and postcolonial literature, the article argues that Italian foreign policy discourses are based on both historical oblivion and the long-standing myth of the ‘good Italian’. The myth negates the controversial aspects of Italy’s colonial experience and permeates the country’s self-perception as an international actor. Italian foreign policy narratives also silenced the highly relevant precedent of Italian migration abroad. The focus is on the public speeches of Italy’s main political actors, notably national ministers and the leaders of the largest parties in parliament.

Most scholarly analyses of memory politics investigate how historical events are remembered selectively in order to justify political choices. Recent research has shown that ‘silencing the past’, notably the omission of relevant historical events, is also an important aspect of memory politics. This article examines how Italian leaders silenced significant periods of Italy’s history during the refugee and migrant crisis in 2014–2018. Drawing on memory politics and postcolonial literature, the article argues that Italian foreign policy discourses are based on both historical oblivion and the long-standing myth of the ‘good Italian’. The myth negates the controversial aspects of Italy’s colonial experience and permeates the country’s self-perception as an international actor. Italian foreign policy narratives also silenced the highly relevant precedent of Italian migration abroad. The focus is on the public speeches of Italy’s main political actors, notably national ministers and the leaders of the largest parties in parliament.

Framing of crisis events is to a large extent contested, with multiple sources and conflicting messages. Theories of crisis communication acknowledge how people try to deal with these competing messages, and this article seeks to deepen the understanding the process of sense making of crisis events by connecting crisis communication to the spiral of silence theory. The spiral of silence theory, founded by Elisabeth Noelle-Neuman, proposes that people are less willing to express their opinions if they believe their beliefs are shared by a minority. This will lead to a spiral in which those who feel their opinions are popular are more inclined to express their opinions, and those who perceive their opinions are unpopular among the public become more silent. This study analyzed changes over time in the willingness to express opinions about the refugee crisis in Europe using a two-wave Web-panel survey (N = 1,185) in Sweden in 2015–2016. The focus is the impact of changing government policy, which moved from a generous refugee policy toward a more restrictive policy. Changes toward a more restrictive refugee policy did not seem to change the overall picture. Those supporting a more restrictive policy were still less inclined to speak their true opinions about the refugee crisis, even if the policy had changed in their favor. On the other hand, respondents supporting a more generous refugee policy seemed to become more cautious about expressing their opinions about the refugee crisis after the policy change, especially when talking to strangers.

Contents: Introduction: the moral panic concept, Charles Krinsky Part I The Evolution of the Moral Panic Concept: Overview The genealogy and trajectory of the moral panic concept, Erich Goode and Nachman Ben-Yehuda Tracking moral panic as a concept, Toby Miller Assemblages of moral politics: yesterday and today, Alan Hunt The problems with moral panic: the concept's limitations, Joel Best. Part II Sex Panics: Overview Public punitiveness, mediation, and expertise in sexual psychopath policies, Chrysanthi S. Leon and John J. Brent Revelation and cardinals' sins: moral panic over 'pedophile priests' in the United States, Pamela D. Schultz The demise of the same sex marriage panic in Massachusetts, Jaime McCauley Considering the agency of folk devils, Mary deYoung. Part III Media Panics: Overview From nickel madness to the house of dreams: moral panic and the emergence of American cinema, Charles Krinsky Sexual predators, internet addiction, and other media myths: moral panic and the disappearance of Brandon Crisp, Patricia Molloy MyMoralPanic: adolescents, social networking, and child sex crime panic, Samantha A. Smith and Simon A. Cole. Part IV Moral Panics over Children and Youth: Overview Moral panics and the young: the James Bulger murder, 1993, Maire Messenger Davies Children pushed aside: moral panic over the family and the state in contemporary Poland, Magdalena Rek-Wozniak and Wojciech Wozniak Moral panics versus youth problem debates: three conceptual insights from the study of Japanese youth, Tuukka Toivonen. Part V Moral panics and Governance: Overview Governing through moral panic: the governmental uses of fear, Willem Schinkel Hidden in plain sight: moral panics and the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Natalia De'Carli and Mariano Perez Humanes Intermedia agenda setting and the construction of moral panics: on the media and policy influence of Steven Soderbergh's Traffic, Bryan E. Denham I vote and I tote: moral panics, resistance, and the failure of quiet regulation, Grazyna Zajdow Is this one? Viral moral panics, Sheldon Ungar. Part VI The Future of the Moral Panic Concept: Overview A missing dimension: the social psychology of moral panics, Chas Critcher and Julia Pearce Cultural trauma and moral panic: 9/11 and the mosque at Ground Zero affair, Kenneth Thompson Moral panics over the environment? 'Climate crisis' and the moral panics model, Amanda Rohloff Practicing moral panic research: a hybrid model with guidelines for its application, Brian V. Klocke and Glenn W. Muschert Appendices Index.